IYM Communicator 

January 20, 2021

Youth Invasion What a turnout for the Youth Invasion this past Sunday at Carmel Friends! We were blessed with a message of love and urgency from Ben Snyder and an atmosphere of deep worship led by Hannah Doke and Josh Cortez. Thank you to Carmel Friends, WYM, and Teresa Mershon for hosting and taking care of the food for our young people. Thank you to the youth leaders who went out of their way to bring young people for the evening. We are grateful for the way you sacrifice for our good.

Winter Sneak is a Go! The joint IYM/WYM Camp Planning Team has made the decision to host Winter Sneak in person at Quaker Haven with COVID-19 precautions in place. We are excited to creatively dream about the Gospel continuing forward through QHC as we invite 6th-12th grade students to camp February 5-7. Tabitha Lumpkin (Farmland) will bring inspired messages as the Holy Spirit prepares her to lead the spiritual development of our young people. Ashton Dalzell (Lynn & QHC) and Ross Smedley (Mooreland) will direct us throughout the weekend, and Hannah Doke (Russiaville) will lead musical worship. Click HERE to view or download the COVID guidelines. Register at qhcyouthprogramming.com! Cost is $120/student with scholarships available as needed. Interested in counseling? Contact Brock Sizelove at brock@quakerhaven.com.

We are continuing to offer video presentations of the IYM Sunday School curriculum. Click HERE for the latest video. The publication for the next quarter is in progress. The writers for the new quarter are Brock Meyer and Andrew Heald of Fairmount Friends and Doug Shoemaker of Hemlock Friends. Orders will be accepted soon!

From Christian Service: IYM is joining forces with Friends Counseling at Wabash Friends to offer some sessions on topics we believe will benefit us all. The sessions will be offered in February. Dates and times for the zoom gatherings will be available later this month. Here are the topics we will be considering: loneli-ness, support services, options for people struggling with anxiety, depression, how to support our extended families and build relationships, grief support, how to support school-aged kids and parents in dealing with the pandemic and the ramifications surrounding education, church participation, etc. PLEASE join us as we try to gain guidance and direction during these uncertain and difficult times. Statistical reports were mailed to each church the first week of January. Please watch for your reports and plan to have them completed and returned to the yearly meeting by January 31. The reports can also be found at https://www.iym.org/page/reports-forms-resources. We are pleased to announce that 110% of yearly meeting assessments for 2020 were paid to Indiana Yearly Meeting. All but two meetings paid 100% of their obligations with over ten churches paying over their assessed amount. We are also pleased to report for the second consecutive year, missions giving has exceeded our goal. Over $110,000 was given to missions in 2020 with fifteen churches exceeding their missions giving goals.

For their spring production, students at Barclay College will be presenting the musical 'Newsies' in April. Tickets go on sale on January 22nd. Click HERE for a news release and for video links advertising the production.

Evangelical Friends Mission is searching for a new Executive Director. Please pray as this search begins. Click HERE for more information and/or to apply.

Upcoming Events: January 21: Pastor Gathering, 10am, Zoom February 5-7: Winter Sneak Teen Retreat, QHC; (check-in begins at 7pm) February 18: Pastor Gathering, 10am, Zoom March 6: Committee Day, 9:30am, Marion First Friends

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Monthly Pastor Gatherings will start again in January via Zoom. Even though we are not able to be together face-to-face, we can connect through virtual means for prayer, encouragement, and fellowship. We will study the book Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger. The gatherings will be at 10 am on the following dates: January 21 February 18 March 17 April 15 We will leave the possibility open to meeting in person in May and for Pastor's Short Course in late June. Pastors, check your email for the Zoom link for tomorrow. Contact Pat Byers if you did not get the email.

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Good Morning! On a recent trip to Brown County, it was evident that we are in the dead of winter. The leaves are scattered on the ground, brown and lifeless. The skies are mostly grey and a bit dreary. Snow is always imminent. It all makes me yearn for the life and vitality of spring! I was reminded of the caterpillar who lies dormant for a while only to emerge as a new being; the butterfly! Isn’t it interesting to think...the butterfly was always there in the DNA of the caterpillar, it only needed to pause for a bit and be biologically awakened. The church is in a bit of a dead-of-winter situation. Many churches are closed to in-person services or those who are meeting in-person are experiencing lower numbers than normal. At times, it has seemed pretty hopeless. Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”  Read that last part again…”the gates of Hades (hell) will not overcome it (His Church). It seems to me that God is showing us a pattern. Just as the color and warmth of spring comes out of the death of winter, and the beauty and grace of the butterfly spring from the chrysalis, I believe God will see His Church emerge from COVID. And…maybe it will look quite a bit different than it did before. Even as the ‘gates of Hades’ edge closer, as God leads us, works within us, and spills out of us, we will continue to be agents and ambassadors of His Kingdom. And His Church will prevail! --Pat Byers _____________________________ ‌